Here's some not-so-surprising news.
State Rep John Bennett – the simpleton, bigoted, authoritarian ex-marine who forces his kids to dress up like Yankee Doodle Dandy and hold semi-automatic weapons for family portraits – is apparently a strong supporter of a teacher's right to abuse, intimidate and embarrass someone else's kid.
In fact, he thinks the lack of physical abuse in Oklahoma classrooms is one of the biggest problems facing our state:
Via KFOR:
An Oklahoma state representative is getting some heat about his argument during a debate regarding the state’s education and budget crisis.
On Monday, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives debated a bill that would fund a teacher pay raise through several revenue-raising measures.
“Money is not the number one issue,” said Rep. John Bennett. “Maybe if we spanked our kids at home a little better with a paddle, made them mind and be good kids, the teachers wouldn’t have it so hard in the classroom.”
I agree 100%. Who cares if teachers haven't had a raise in 10 years, classrooms are overcrowded crumbling hell-holes, or 20% of Oklahoma school districts now have four-day school weeks. The real issue is we're not beating enough kids with paddles. As I'm sure every alcoholic step-father would agree, the threat of physical abuse is the easiest way to turn a disorderly child into a good person.
KFOR caught up with Bennett this week to find out more details on how abusing children will improve Oklahoma's educational system:
On Tuesday, Bennett stood by his words
"I’ve told all my kids' teachers that, ‘If they get out of line, use a paddle on them,'” Bennett said. “If they get out of line after that, call me and I’ll come up and paddle them in front of the whole class because they will not disrespect their elders or teachers in school.”
That's awesome. I'm sure that was a fun conversation during parent / teacher conference day.
"Outside of turning in his homework on time, I think things are going well for Timmy. Do you have any questions for me?"
"Is it okay if I come up here to beat and humiliate him if he misbehaves?
"Uhm, I'm not sure if that's a good idea."
"Okay, but what if I let you beat him first?"
Here's more:
Bennett said he isn’t encouraging parents to “beat” their children but said those who disagree with him aren’t facing reality.
“My response is, if they don’t like it, don’t listen to it. But, that’s the reality - that the truth only hurts when it should,” Bennett said.
The truth only hurts when it should? Well, John Bennett better get ready for some pain. According to this place called the Internet, just about every credible organization in the world opposes corporal punishment and other forms of abuse in schools.
Via Wikipedia:
School officials and policymakers often rely on personal anecdotes to argue that school corporal punishment improves students' behavior and achievement. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence showing that corporal punishment leads to better control in the classroom. In particular, evidence does not suggest that it enhances moral character development, increases students' respect for teachers or other authority figures, or offers greater security for teachers.
A number of medical, pediatric or psychological societies have issued statements opposing all corporal punishment in schools, citing such outcomes as poorer academic achievement, increases in antisocial behavior, injuries to students, and an unwelcoming learning environment. They include the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Society for Adolescent Medicine, the American Psychological Association, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Canadian Paediatric Society and the Australian Psychological Society, as well as the United States' National Association of Secondary School Principals.
I know things like "evidence" and "facts" will never change the minds of simple-minded ideologues like John Bennett who choose to ignore the truth in favor of anecdotal evidence that supports their indoctrinated, draconian belief system, but I just couldn't help myself. I get off on proving people wrong about as much as John Bennett apparently enjoys beating a child.
